Craigslist Killings: Father of victim says she was in unhealthy relationships

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SARANAC, Mich. – Greg Slocum is still reeling from the murder of his eight-month pregnant daughter, Brooke Slocum.

“To think this was going to be my first granddaughter, and to have lost her is just every worst nightmare come true,” Slocum said.

Brooke Slocum, 18, along with her unborn child, were killed along with Charlie Oppenneer, victims of Brady Oestrike, according to police.

The elder Slocum says Brooke was exposed to a lot once she moved away from Saranac and into Grand Rapids. But she had her dreams. "She wanted nothing more than to start a family and to have a baby,' said Slocum.

It was after her move that she met Oppenneer. But Slocum says their relationship was not healthy.

“I know that love is not manipulation; love is unconditional and that wasn’t the case,” Slocum said. “My daughter deserved better than that.”

Slocum says Brooke was deeply impacted by the divorce of her parents and willing to do whatever it took to keep her family together.

“I don't know any of the details of any of it, but that life of hers, I know she knows dad wouldn't approve if she was doing anything like that. So, I'm the last one she's gonna tell.”

"She did some pretty unspeakable things for him that she thought was out of love,” said Slocum. “That was manipulation and totally cruel to do.”

Brady Oestrike, suspect

Wyoming police say Slocum and Oppenneer met Brady Oestrike through an ad on Craigslist. Other ads posted on the site's personal section appear to match the profiles of the young couple.Slocum says that wasn’t the Brooke he and many others knew.

While looking for a dress for his daughter’s funeral, Slocum says he came across several letters.

He says another example of Brooke’s selflessness was her reaction to the homeless living on the streets of Grand Rapids. “She went out and held up a sign saying she was homeless and she said, ‘Dad, in an hour I made $75, and I gave it to one of the homeless people who really needed it, and hopefully that got them off the street for a night.'"

Brooke also started to pack lunches for the people living on the street. “She could barely feed herself, she was getting' so skinny,” Slocum said. “She's just done so many wonderful things for so many other people.”

As the Slocum family continues to come to terms with their loss. They’re asking you to pay it forward.

“We do live in a good world, we just need to take it back,” said Slocum. “I've already put a post out in remembrance of my daughter, that we'd like everyone to do an act of kindness to a complete stranger. Some, of course, can do more than others. It doesn't matter how little it is. She gave everything she had even when she had nothing.”

A memorial fund will be set up on Monday at Independent Bank in Ionia.

25 comments

Bruce Clarke

Brook’s father has a right to his opinions about Charlie, but that does not make them news. When the story first broke, he commented that he did not really know Charlie. Now he seems to be certain that Charlie was manipulating Brooke to do things against her will. That is just speculation on his part and it is not news. Shame on you Fox 17 for allowing him to use your broadcast to disparage the memory of another victim in this terrible tragedy.

I’d be curious to know what he was doing to make money for the family. It would be much harder to believe the allegations coming forth about someone who works and supports themselves. Not trying to speak bad of someone I don’t know. I would hope that if they were advertising for her to have sex, that he was doing something, anything to support himself and help her with the costs of the coming baby. Since I don’t know the guy, I can’t say.

Ella

This guy is milking his 15 min of fame to attention whoring status. He just needs to shut up already. Every time he opens his mouth he makes his own daughter sound even more pathetic. Earlier interview he says she wrote letters about having sex w/ strangers & now he’s trying to make us believe she packed lunches for homeless people
I’m starting to think Charlie may have been her victim.

sillyrabbit

I agree. This guy makes no sense. She was packing lunches for homeless people but she didn’t have food? Why did you feed her DAD. I think this guy is drunk in most of the interviews. Originally when she was missing and Charlie was found he said he didn’t know him too well, but nothing was unusual and they had a normal relationship. Now he is saying that she was manipulated and a whole mess of stuff. He is making her look so much worse.

Samantha

I think everyone needs to be quiet when it comes to this case. Charlie left behind 2 small children and when they get older and start searching around about their father this isn’t the kind of stuff they need to read! Peoples personal lives should stay personal even after death. These people were murdered, an unborn child murdered.

Jen

I honestly CANNOT believe the harsh words and ridicule I am reading here, does anyone else NOT see that a father has just lost his daughter??? Right or wrong, good or bad, his words are coming from A very, very broken heart… I beg any of you to repost if you yourself have lost anyone, and / or had to televise your comments about something so painful, what the heck, man. Have a little sympathy here folks!

Ang

Kimberly Sherwood

He’s NOT DRUNK THAT IS THE LOOK OF A FATHER STRESSED OUT, PROBLEY HASN’T SLEPT MUCH AT ALL!!!!! LOST IS PREGNANT DAUGHTER IN A HORRIBLE WAY!! IT DID NOT MATTER WHAT SHE DID OR HOW SHE LIVED HER LIFE GOOD OR BAD ITS NOT YOUR JOB TO CALL HER NAMES OR JUDGE HER!!! AS A PARENT WHEN YOU RAISE YOUR KIDS THEY DO STUFF KEEP IT FROM US AND NOW GREG IS TRYING TO FIGURE IT OUT WHAT MOTIVATED HER TO DO THIS PATH IN LIFE!!!!! IF YOU NEED TO TALK DISRESPECTFULLY KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT AND LET THEM SEE IF THEY CAN FIGURE IT OUT!!!! ONLY GOD CAN JUDGE YOU!!!

Adrian

They are taking donations, because burying somebody is EXPENSIVE, and anyone who knew Brooke would know that she would go without if it meant helping somebody, and she hated taking help from her family, who were already struggling to get by. I met Charlie a long time ago and I knew he wasn’t someone to be in a relationship with. But she Loved him and she lover her family and she would do anything to keep it together. At school, she’d always give her lunch to a student who didn’t Have the money for lunch. She’d give the clothes off her back. She looked for regular jobs for months and no one would hire her and everybody forgets the lack-of-jobs-supply. All the while, his happy@$$ was sitting at home, refusing to get a job, not paying child support on his other two kids. No one is perfect. Brooke had a kind heart and truly did help when ever she could, how ever she could. Charlie should have stepped up, been a man, and refuse to let her do this. Do not get me wrong, his other children lost their father, and I feel for them, but don’t you DARE blame her for this. Don’t you dare say she deserved it. Give the family and friends the respect they deserve- they just lost people who have been very important to them. Wouldn’t you turn to something, even alcohol, if your child was murdered by some sicko?
Please. Just leave her family be. If this happened to you, they would help you out, because they are kind people and they don’t deserve to be mocked and treated like trash. Have a heart, for the love of god.

Mel

Mandy

What in the hell is wrong with most of you people on here? No matter what she did, she was an 18 year old girl carrying a child. This is not the place for your petty, hurtful words. Everyone makes mistakes and who are you to judge that her mistakes are more than yours. I know this family very well and they all are grieving in a way that all you heartless people could never comprehend. Shame on !

mj

People would be surprised to really know who is leading a secret life in their own circle! That does not mean anyone deserves to die like the victims did.
Anyone can get caught up in a situation that can spell trouble or worse….tragedy like in this story.
Let’s not forget we ALL are only human and pray we should be so lucky for our shortcomings not to have these same consequences!
RIP Brooke and Audi:'(

jerry

sainmmy

If the families of those involved in this crime would stay off the TV, phone and out of the newspapers and stop talking they would not have anyone making comments. But they just keep talking and why do they care what the public thinks? All that matters is what is in their heart, it does not need to be shared with anyone. Just makes it harder on themselves.

Lee

Ashley

Brooke was my very best friend In this whole world. She was so pure and selfless. THIS MAN. However. Is a lowlife degenerate who chose his wife and her kids over his daughter. He did nothing to help her and used every bit of money and media coverage FOR HIMSELF. The week after brooke died they took out her room to make their house bigger, put in sliding doors and eveeything. I admit she did what she thought she had to in order to keep her tiny family together but I assure you it was NOT her intention. Charlie previously had a girlfriend who looked EXACTLY like Brooke but blonde and they had two babis together also. Charlie bought all her friends and family with money and gifts that he STOLE and once I saw thru it he made her cut me off. I hadn’t talked to her for almost a year before this happened and this is all his fault. Brookes dad is lying when he says she met Charlie after she moved to GR becauz she met Charlie on Craigslist and he stalked her and forced her to quit her job while they were both homeless living in his car and they even went to jail cauz he quit his job too and they were both on probation and had fines that they couldn’t afford ! Brookes parents hadn’t been together most of Brookes life and that was Not her trauma, she had been sexually abused in the past and the people she told didn’t help her get justice ! Psychologically she didn’t know how else to cope but to expose herself to more abuse thinking it was the only way to get any affection or attwntion. I love that girl more than life itself and to think next month she’d be 20 and I still feel as if there’s been no real answers !!😦😦